Pump control



Patented Jan. 8, 1935 jUNlTED STATQES,

PATENT OFFICE 1,987,466 I I PUIMIIP" CONTROL- Frank 0. Collin, White Plains, N. Y.

Application March 6, 1933, Serial No.-659,810

' 2 Claims. (01. 103-25) Thepresent inventionrelates broadly to pumping system s-and'more especially to pump control I Q .ij x The present invention is adapted more especially ,for use with sewage disposal plants wherein the disposal liquidsand solids are receivedin a well which-must be .emptied when the liquids,

therein havereached a predetermined level.

In devices of this character, theapparatusre- 1 quiressettingand adjustment from time to time.

I-Ieretofore the control apparatus 'has been at the,

,house,zto,operate thepump when the liquids in.

theiwellreach predetermined levels. These adjustments can be I made independently of the liquid height inithe well and may be easily made by one. operator,

2 sides in constructionswhereby the control connection in; the welliszsubstantially a stationary part which is automatically retained freeof foul- I ing with materials in th I II II I I e well by the normal opeine 951 13 apparatus- 30 Referringnow to; the drawing:

Fig. 1 comprisesa diagrammatic illustration I I through which the control device will operate ie o le e s s Fig. 2 comprises a schematic illustration of the control and contacts for operating a starting box of an electric motorconnected with a pump. I

The well il'is adapted to receive sewage,- or

other liquid,- and to require the liquids and solids to be withdrawn from'the well from time to time nwhen the liquids have reached a predetermined 40 heightto prevent the'well from overflowing. The

outlet from thewell comprises a pump 2 driven by an electric motor 4, which is under control of a starting box-5 of a type commercially common, in theart. The starting box 5 for the electric motor is operated by apressure control device 6. This pressure controldevice may be of various forms, but preferably comprises a pair of contacts 7 and 3,;extendingthrough an envelope 9-of glass, or other materiahcontaining a quantity of mer' 5 cury'10,'suificient to immerse the ends of the controlsj'l and 8 only when the envelope istipped to,

cause the mercury to flow toward the end of the envelope Q in which the contacts '7 and 8 are 5 imountedfl This e'nvelopeQis mounted on an arm Another feature of the presentinvention re llpiv'o'te'd at 12'to the casing 14 of thecontrol' device, which may be provided with a removable panel 13 to permit access to make necessary adjustments. The arm 11 is'connect'e'd-with'the link 15 which is attached to an operating arm 16. This operating arm 16 is provided with a pivot 5 17, also mounted on the casing 14, and'the free end" of the operating arm 16 connects with an adjustment rod 18 which is forced against the end of the operating arm 16 by means of an overthrow spring 19 pivoted at 20 on the casing 14. m The connection between the overthrow spring 19 and theadjustmentrod '18 is preferably a screw thread connection so that an adjustment may be made't'o control the effective strength of the overthrow spring 19. A sylphon bellows 21 is connectedwitha knife edge post 24 which bears against the lower edge of the operating .arm 16.) Opposedto the knife edge post 24 is a knife edge stud 25 connectedwith a regulator spring 26 that is mounted on a screw threaded adjustment post 20 27 carried by the casing 14, so that the effective strength of theregulator spring 26 may be adjusted. Suitable lock nuts '28 and '29may be provided for the overthrow spring'19 and the regulator spring 26. I I I I 25 The sylphon bellows 21 is connected by pipe 30 with the main pipe 31. A needle throttle The main pipe 31 carries a footage gage 34 and a recording gage 35.- The main .pipe 31 is also provided with a cut-ofi valve 36 which is also used during adjustment of the control device, 'aswill later be explained. The main pipe 31 connects with a sight feed ohamberf37 having transparent side .Walls 38. and being hermetically closed" by top and bottom members 39 and 40... The main pipe 31 is connected with a well pipe '41, which preferably, is located outside of the well and connects with the interior of the well adjacent the lower portion-thereof. By mounting the well pipe 41 outside of the well, the side walls of the well are clear for cleaning and. also fouling of the exterior of the well pipe 41 is obviated. However, where wells have been dug and have been in operation the device may be installed by locating the pipe 41 within the well so that the lower open end of the pipe 41 isnear the bottom of the well. A pressure pipe 42, connected with a suitable supply of compressed air (not shown) as is well understood'by those skilled in'the art, terminates I in an extension 33 which extends beneath the surface of liquid in the sight feed chamber 37. This pressure pipe 42 is provided with a cut-off valve 46 and with an adjustable pressure regulator 47 which may be set to reduce the pressure coming through the cut-off valve 46 to a predetermined pressure on the outlet side of the pressure regulator. The pressure pipe 42 is connected to a pressure gage 48 and is provided with a check valve 49 to prevent back flow of pressure through the sight feed chamber 37. The pressure pipe 42 isalso provided with a throttle needle valve 50 so that a predetermined volume of air under pressure may be admitted in a given time through the sight feed chamber intg the;

main pipe 31.

In the operation of the device it may be assumed that the well 1 is forty feet deep, and;

that the electric motor 4 shall be startedto operate the pump 2 to discharge material from the well when the liquid in the well reaches a height of thirty-five feet. The pressure of the liquid; in the bottom of the well will depend upon the density of the materialsin the well, and in sewerage disposal plants this density may vary. slightly fromtime totime depending upon the.

character of the materials being received. The

pressure on the bottom of the well where the on the gage 48." The throttle needle valve 50may be adjusted insuch manner as to cut down the volume of flowof compressed air into the sight chamber 37 and, into themain pipe 31, so that the volume of'ilowfbeyond the needle valve 50 is not sufiicient to establish a substantial abnormal ba'cl; pressure in the main pipe '31. The pressure in the main pipe 31, however, is at all times sufiicient to force compressed air through the well pipe 41 in such manner that at all times. asubsta'ntial volume of air bubbles 51 flow through the liquid 52 in the well l.- 'I'hisconstruction,

5 utilizing air flowing through the pipe 41 at all times keeps the end of this pipe free from solids and danger of fouling, and where the volume of air through the needle valve 50 is controlled in such manner as to obviate abnormal back pressure, the pressure indicated on the pressure gage 34 on the main pipe 31 will substantially equal thehydrostatic pressure of the liquid 52 in the well 1 at the mouth pipe 41. The pressure in the main pipe 31 may read on the gage 34 and the recording pressure gage 35 will make a permanent record thereof. These gages are preferably arranged to read in feet instead of pounds pressure per square inch, so that the age 34 and the recording gage 35 may read directly as to substantially the height of liquid in the well 1. The gages may also be scaled to read in pounds per square inch if desired.

Assume that it is desired that the pump 2 shall be operated to commence discharging the .ate within these limits, .the cut-oifvalve 36 in ing circuit, thereby starting the operation of l the motor. I When the arm; 16 snaps downward the the main pipe 31 is closed. The needle valve 32 in the pipe 30 is then opened until the pressure in. the main pipe builds up so that the gage 34 reads just below thirty-feet, thereby producing an artificial pressure in the main pipe 31 equivalent to a hydrostatic pressure of thirtyfive feet in the well 1, which pressure is communicated to the sylphon bellows 31. The regulator spring 26 is now adjusted so that the arm 16 is almostready to trip. The needle valve 32 is slightlyi clcsedcausing the,pressur e in; the main pipe" to rise so that the gage 34 indicates full thirty-five feet. The adjustment of the regulator-spring 26 should be such as to permit the operating arm 16 to rise and allow the overthrow spring 19 to snap this arm upward, due to the combined efiect 'ofthe pressure in the sylphon 21 and the .action;;of the overthrow spring 19. Thus 'the'adjustment for the high level operation of the pump has been accomplished.

To adjust for the low level, the needle valve 321is opened to'permit escape of pressure from themain pipe' 31 until the gage 34 reads just;

' above four feet. The overthrow spring 19 is now adjusteduntilthe action of the regulator spring 26is-nearly sufiicient to swing the operating arm 1 16 in a downward direction against the pressure in the'sylphon bellows and'the efiectiveness otthe overthrow spring 19. The needle-valveBZis further opened until the gage 34- reads four feet,-

at which-time the adjustment of the'-;overth11ow spring 19 should be such as to permit the regulator spring 26 to snap the operating arm--16 in a down-ward direction to the lowerlimit-of-its movements." When the arm 16 snaps -upwardthe mercury-10inthe envelopes flows over the" contacts (and 8,-thereby closing the control circuit for the starting box of the motor 4 andpermitting the starting box to closethe-motoroperat-- contacts 7 and S are opened and the motor stops;

The limits' for' the operation ofthe device hav-'-- ing nowbeen set and determined,-the cut-oil?- valve 36 '-is opened full-and the needle throttlevalve'32 isclosed, The; system is now ready for operation,"and whenf-the liquidsin the well; riseto' thirty-five feetthe pumpwill be automatically started and-continue operation untll'the liquids in the well reach four feetyat which time the pump will be stoppedand will-not resume operation untilthe' liquid in thefwell again reachesthirty-nv iieet. The control circuit'may be provided with a hand switch 54 so that the motion may be cut out if desired Thepresent invention-has the advantage or permitting complete controlof :a remotely 10- cated well andpumping system by manipula tion of devices located in the gage house at a distant control board, which board carries the necesthepumps'; A ve'ry great advantage of the prest s stem, re ide n e c s r ctio wh r b the} ont ol m bev s an ad sted. at the 911:

e n leng ndi ate ad acent flom said ell valve meansto control a volume of f' om rese a r w ns thr h i r pe to cau e 00 r e s for. in o i n t p r te. o Plant; and. e e, ev rol 1 o a in to id scherg qulf sirom aid .well an e1e ,t 1f otor t dri e said mp, a r ssure, p pe av:

air to be discharged from the lower end of said pipe at a pressure substantially equal to the hydrostatic pressure on the lower end of said pipe, a footage gage connected with said pipe to indicate the pressure in said pipe corresponding to said hydrostatic head, a pressure regulator adapted to regulate the pressure of compressed air fed to said pipe, an adjustable pressure operated switch adapted to start and stop said electric motor at predetermined pressure limits of compressed air in said pipe produced by back pressure of hydrostatic pressure in said Well, means to isolate said switch from said hydrostatically produce pressure while said switch is being subjected to the pressure of compressed air from said pipe, and a manually operated control valve to control the compressed air pressure effective on said switch while being so isolated.

2. A device of the class described comprising in combination, a well adapted to receive liquids, a pump operatively connected with said well, an

electric motor to drive said pump, a pipe having an open end terminating within the liquid in said well and adapted to supply a continuous stream of fluid under pressure into said Well, means to control the volume of said fluid under pressure flowing from the open end of said pipe in such manner that the pressure in said pipe bears a definite relation to the hydrostatic pressure in said well at the open end of said pipe, pressure operated means operatively connected with said pipe and being adapted to start and stop said motor when predetermined pressure limits are reached in said pipe, and valve means comprising an isolating valve to isolate the pressure operated means from the effect of hydrostatic pressure in said well and a manually operated vent valve connected with the fluid carrying pipe anterior to the isolating valve to permit adjustment of said control means independently of the hydrostatic pressure in said well.

FRANK C. COLLIN. 

